Wing Commander

Jag Mohan Nath

MVC & Bar
Nickname(s)Jaggi,[1] Professor[2]
Born(1930-08-08)8 August 1930
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Died21 March 2023(2023-03-21) (aged 92)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Allegiance India
Service/branch Indian Air Force
Years of service1948–1969
Rank Wing Commander
Service number3946 GD(P)[3]
UnitNo.106 Squadron[3]
Battles/wars
Awards Maha Vir Chakra & Bar

Wing Commander Jag Mohan Nath, MVC & bar (8 August 1930 – 21 March 2023) was an Indian Air Force officer. He was the first of the six officers to have been decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest war time military decoration, twice. He was decorated for his operations in the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.[4]

Early life

Jag Mohan Nath was born on 8 August 1930,[5][6] in Jaipur, and grew up in Layyah, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan) in a Punjabi Hindu family of doctors. He served in the Air Force from 1948 to 1969, before taking up a position in Air India.[4]

Military career

Nath joined the Air Force Administrative College in Coimbatore in 1948. He was first awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his role in reconnaissance missions in Aksai Chin and Tibet, before and during the 1962 war. His missions proved useful in learning about the Chinese military build-up in Aksai Chin. He flew around 30 reconnaissance missions into Pakistan during the 1965 war in an English Electric Canberra, which earned him his second Maha Vir Chakra.[4][7][8] He would go over Pakistani territory including Lahore, Icchogil canal and Sargodha.[2] In eastern Ladakh, Nath would fly into Chinese occupied territory. He had stated in an interview that "the Chinese could see me clearly and even fired at my aircraft," but other than that could do little as the Chinese did not have an air force at the time.[8]

Nath had 3275 flying hours.[3]

Controversy

In an interview, Wing Commander Nath claimed that a mole was detected in the Indian Air Force's Western Command during the 1965 war. The mole was a group captain handling flight movements in the Western Command, though he declined to name the person as he was already dead.[9]

Death

Nath died in Mumbai on 21 March 2023, at the age of 92.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ Arpi, Claude (30 January 2020). "Wrong person at wrong time". The Pioneer. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  2. ^ a b Purohit, Jugal R. (21 September 2015). "1965 war hero 'Professor' reveals top IAF officer a Pak mole who bled India". India Today. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  3. ^ a b c "Service Record: Wing Commander Jag Mohan Nath". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Srinivasan, Pankaja (6 September 2015). "The pilot who 'shot' Pakistan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 September 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  5. ^ "Wing Commander Jag Mohan Nath: The First of Six Officers to be Decorated with Maha Vir Chakra Twice". News 18. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Wg Cdr Jag Mohan Nath, MVC (retd)". The War Decorated India & Trust. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Squadron Leader Jag Mohan Nath (3946) MVC". Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  8. ^ a b Pal, Snchari (2018-01-22). "The Story of The Only Living IAF Veteran To Get The Maha Vir Chakra Twice!". The Better India. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  9. ^ "Mole in IAF helped Pak plan attack: 1965 war hero". The Times of India. 22 September 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  10. ^ "Air Force veteran Wing Cmdr J M Nath passes away". The Economic Times. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  11. ^ Kumar, Raju (21 March 2023). "Air Force veteran Wing Cmdr JM Nath, who took sorties in wars against Pakistan, China dies". India TV News. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
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